Cartridge-loading machine



(No Model.)

I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. HILL.

CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE.

No. 351.981. Patented Nov. 2, 1886.

' 2, Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. HILL.

CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE.

No. 351,981. Patented Nov. 2, 1886..

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

\VALTER HILL, OF EASTON, MASSACHUSETTSf CARTRIDGE-LOADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,981, dated November 2, 1886.

Application filed June 4, 1886. Serial No. 204138. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that l, WALTER HILL, of Easton, county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Cartridge-Loading Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention is an improvement upon Letters Patent of the United States granted to me December 22, 1855, and has for its object toso construct the machine that it may be more easily and rapidly operated and be more eflicient in loading cartridges with various grades of material.

In accordance with this invention the powder and shot chambers are provided with exits by which the chambers may be emptied at any time to be refilled with material of another grade. A wad-receptacle is provided, from which the wads pass to a chute, from which they are taken one at a time by a perforated slide and conveyed over the generaldelivery chute of the machine, a plunger operated by a lever being employed to force the wads through the generaldelivery chute; Means are also provided under the control of a hand-lever for automatically moving the slide which conveys the wads from the Wedchute to the general-delivery chute back and forth. The valves controlling the passage of ammunition from each chamber are arranged to be operated from one side of the machine. Asnitable locking device is employed for looking the cartridge-shell in fixed position at the orifice of the general-delivery chute, the mech anism being so arranged as to allow the shell to be brought into suitable position to be acted upon by a crimper.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a cartridge. loading machine embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a sectional detail showing a portion of the wad-chute and wad-carrying slide and a cartridge-shell in position to be filled; Fig. 3, a vertical section of Fig. 1, taken-on the dottedline a; as; Fig. 4, a detail of a portion of the machine, showing the wad-receptacle partially broken out; Fig. 5, a top view of the locking device for locking the cartridge-shell in position beneath the general-delivery chute,

and also the crimper; and Fig. 6, a detailto be referred to.

.sideof the machine as the rod 9 tance the valves 9 shall be-moved is ad- The chambers a b, to receive powder and shot,

and the valves 9 g, controlling the passage from said chambers to the general-delivery spiral springs 9 The chambers or compartments a b, together with their attached parts, are rigidlyconnected to an upright frame,A, by arms A A, said frame being attached tothe bed-plate B, adapted to be applied to any suitable table, B, by a clamping-screw, B turning in asuitable bracket, B A receptacle, 0, having an inclined bottom, 0, and an inclined guide por tion, 0', at the foot of the inclined bottom 0', is mounted upon and preferably pivoted to the top of 'the chamber a by a screw,.c the said receptacle 0 serving also asa lid to cover the opening a at the top of the chamber a. The guide portion'c of the receptacle 0 conveys wads placed in the said receptacle into the wad-chute 0*, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) extending vertically in front of the machine, between the two chambers a b, said wad-chute having a slit or opening, 0", extending vertically its entire length, through which asuitable toolmay be passed to 'aid the downward movement of the wads should they become lodged. A lid, b, is hinged to the top ,por-

tion of the chamber b, covering the opening b therein.

At the lower portion of the chambers ab suitable exits, 'a 'b are provided, which are closed by any suitable screw-cap, a b, in order that the contents of either chamber may be withdrawn when desired to change thegrade of material being used, or for any other purpose.

The valves controlling the passage of material from the chambers a b to the general delivery chute e are operated by rods 9 g, the rod having a thumb-piece, 9, attached to its lower end by which the said rod maybe drawn downward, returning, as will be noticed, by the force of the spring 9', while the rod-g is connected with a hand-lever, g, pivoted to one side of the frame A, its opposite end being bent substantially at right angles, in order that it may be operated from the same The disjustcd, as in the patent referred to, by suitable adj listing-screws, g, and blocks g".v A suitable ring, 6, is secured within the end of the general-delivery chute e, and a detachable ring, of suitable internal diameter to fit the external diameter of the cartridgebeing filled is placed within the orifice or lower end of the said general-delivery chute, the said ring .0" being held in position bya pivoted-lockinglevcr, 0".

The'plunger consists of a tube, '12., through which is passed the rod 12, encircled by a spiral spring, n (see Fig. 3,) bearing against a cap, a", fitted into the upper end of the tuben, and also against a pin, 02*, passing through the tube near its lower end, the pin bearing against a projection 'or' flange, a and moving as the plunger is depressed in guideways or slots a at each side of the tube 7:. The plunger is operated by a lever, L,-pivoted at L to standard,'L, supported by the frame-work A, said lever L passing through an eye, L having a shank portion, 12 (see Fig. 3,) which is fitted into the top of the tube n, and connected therewith and also to the rod n by a pin, 20, (see Fig. 3,) so that the plunger n'may be operated, when desired, by the said lever. The wads are taken one at a time from the wad-chute by a wad-carrying slide, m,-l1aving a hole or perforation at m, which receives the lowermo'st'wad from the wad-chute c and conveys it into the general delivery chute e, in order that the plunger n may force the same from the slide at into and through the'ring e, forming part of the gen-- eraldelivery chute and into the cartridgeshell 1). v

' The wad-carryingslide m is actuated by the lever m, pivoted at m, the upper end of" the said lever having a hookedend, m", (see Fig.

6,) which engages and follows upon a'guideway, m, secur'edto the top of the lever L, a

spring, m", connected with the lever m,;mov-

ingthe hooked end of the said lever m upon theguideway m when the lever L is depressed. The lever L is normally retained in-elevated position by the spring n within the" plunger n. A suitable loop, L, is attached at one end' to the standard L, the said 'loop serving as a rest or.support for the usual box (not shown) containing wads, one end of the said-box be ing opened to allow. the wads to pass there-v from' into the wad-receptacle.

- As the lever L is depressedthe Wad-carrying slide m is moved in the direction of thearrow, Fig. 2, taking a wad from the wadchute c, and conveying the same into the line of the general-delivery chute, the hookedend piece, m", following forward upon the guide portion m and as the lever L is restored to its normal position, the guide m gradually in-' clining, causes the saidrod m to be returned to its normal position, moving the wad carryi'ngslidein the opposite direction. 3

The cartridge-shell p. is placedwithin a barre], 1), supported by a-ring, p, pivoted at 15*.

(see Figs. 3-and 5) to a cross-bar, p, turning freely within two side bars of a shell-carrying frame, 12 p, pivoted to the frame-work A at p". A suitable locking device, consisting of a bar having two engaging ends, p p", and pivoted at its center, as at p is employed to be turned beneath the sides 10 of the said shellcarrying frame, and raise it snfficiently to place the cartridgeshell p, when upturned in vertical position, correctly next to and so as to enter the ring 0, to receive the charge or box filled.

When the locking device is released, the side pieces, p, will rest upon the bed-plate B, and then the cartridge-shell 1) may be turned or tipped over at right angles, as shown at Fig. 5, or parallel with the bed-plate, as shown in dotted lines,Fig. 1, to bear upon a suitable sup port,S,earried by a sliding frame, S, havinga suitable upright, S, in which the erimper S has itsbcarings, the said slide-frame carrying the erimper being moved bya suitable handlever, S all as in the patent referred to. It

will thus be seen that by deprcssingthe thu mbpiece 9 a suitable supply of powder, for instance, may pass through the general-delivery chute and enter the shell 1;. Then the lever L may be operated, as described, to convey a wad into suitable position to be driven by the plunger into the shell, after which the handlever 9 may be operated to allow a suitable supply of shot to'pass through the general-delivery chute and enter the shell and the lever L be again operated to drive a wad. The looking device 11 11 is then released and the car tridge-shell brought at right angles upon the sliding erimper.- frame and crimped in the usual manner.

By locatingthe thumb-piece g and the operating end of the lever 9 both on one side of the machine, they may be operated with one hand and theoperating-lever L be moved by the other hand. 7

As it is frequently desired to load a few eartridges with one grade of ammunition and then to employ another grade, the exits a b" will be frequently used.

The ring 6 may be detached and another ring of another internal diameter supplied when desired.

It is obvious that any other suitable locking device may be employed, instead of thc'device' herein shown, for elevating the frame carrying.

the cartridge-shell.

The wad-receptacle is locked in position by a suitableloclging device, herein shown as a pivoted latch, o. a

I claim- 1. In a cartridge-loading machine, two ammunition compartments, a general deliv,ery

chute with which they are in communication, and valves controlling the passages to said chute, combined with the thumb-piece g, and

the lever 9 arranged below the said valves,

and adapted to be operated from the same side of the machine, the rods 9 and g, for connecting said thumbpiece and lever with said,

valves, and the retracting-springs g, substantially as set forth. g

' which the wads pass from the 2. In a cartridgeloading machine, two am- I munition compartment-s, a general delivery chute with which they are in communication, and valves controlling the passage'to said chute, combined with a wad-receptacle having an inelined-guide portion, 0, and wad-chute, into wad receptacle, substantially as described.

3. In a cartridgeloading machine, the combination, with two ammunitioncompartments, of a general-delivery chute with which said compartments communicate, and valves controlling the passage between said compartments and chute, said compartments being pro; vided at their bottoms with delivery aperturesor exits, as a b, whereby they may be emptied, when desired, without using the said valves, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cartridge-loading machine, two am- .munition compartments, a general delivery chute communicating therewith, and valves controlling the passages between said chute and compartments, combined with a wad chute, a wad-carrying slide, a plunger, a lever for operating said plunger, and aseeond lever receiving movement from the plunger-operating lever and adapted to actuate the said wadearrying slide, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cartridge-loading machine, two ammunitioncompartments, a generaldeliv'ery chute communicating therewith, and valves controlling the passages betwecnsaid chute and compartments, combined with a wadehute, a wad-carrying slide below said chute, the plunger operating lever L, having the guideway m", the standard to which said lever is pivoted, and the leverm, engaging the said wad-carrying slide and having the hooked end m", adapted to said guideway, substantially as set forth.

6. The horizontally-pivoted shell-holder p p", arranged to be turned down or tipped over, as described, and the pivoted frame to which said shell-holder is attached, combined with a locking device, as the pivoted bar having engaging ends 1) p, for holding said frame in an elevated position, substantially as set forth.

7. In a cartridge-loading machine, the ammunition chambers or compartments, generaldelivery chute, valves, and plunger, combined with a wad-receptaele pivoted at the top of one of the ammunition chambers and covering the opening therein, and a locking device for locking the said wad-receptacle in position to permit the wads to pass therefrom into the wad-chute, substantially as described.

8. In a cartridge-loading machine, the ammunitiop chambers, general-delivery chute, valves, and plunger, combined with a wadchute, wad-receptacle having an inclined bottom, and a wad-rest, L, in which the box containing the wads may be placed, all substantial] y as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER HILL.

Wit messes:

B. DEWAR, BERNIOE J. NoYEs. 

